The Road of Fear
by JemCarstairs99
Summary: After the War with Gaea, Will and Nico never got together . . . but now . . .with a quest on the way . . . What will happen between the two of them?
1. Chapter 1

p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Nico?" asked a female voice, one that sounded very familiar./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yes?" he replied finally tearing his gaze off of his customers./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Did you hear a single thing that I was saying?" Bianca asked him slightly accusatorily./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You want the honest answer? Not really?" he said slightly ashamed. He looked away from his sister and glanced around at the little coffee shop he had been working at for the last few months, trying to pay for his apartment while attending class at a nearby community college. It was cozy with little tables surrounded by armchairs./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What's going on, Nico? This isn't like you at all. You're jumpy, and don't talk much anymore. To anyone."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Well that is what happens when you lose your sister and you find out that your father is Hades, who then gives you back your sister for reasons I don't know./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nothing's going on."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Do I hear sass, little brother? I know that I raised you better than that."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Sis, just please leave me alone, I don't want to talk about it."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Excuse me?" A blonde teen, with blue eyes came up in line. "Can I have a black coffee, with . . ."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Black coffee with two sugars and a blueberry muffin coming right up!" Nico beamed, already pulling out a blueberry muffin from the stack. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Wait . . . did I just?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nico, did you memorize his order?" Bi asked shocked./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It's Will. We both are from Camp Half-blood and just so happen to go to the same school. Why wouldn't I remember?" he style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;" Please buy that, please buy it./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Ahuh" she said, raising an eyebrow./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSo Nico had three options at that moment: the blonde was too busy fidgeting around, was too nice to say anything, or was oblivious. He wasn't sure which one was the best option. He also didn't really want to find out./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Here's your coffee," Nico said, handing out Will's cup. Now normally Nico wore plastic gloves because of work, but this time he had a hole in his glove. Upon grabbing the coffee, they touched and a small tinge of feeling went from his hand and straight into his brain. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Wow . . . THAT'S not normal./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"So what do you study, sir?" His sister asked./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Please, don't call me sir. Makes me feel old. Call me Will."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Okay, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Will/em, what do you study?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm currently studying nursing. So, sister I take it?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah, that's my dorky brother alright!" Bi said smiling widely./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Sis, please don't tell me that you called me dorky to em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"another/em costumer. You might as well just make a sign in the middle of Manhattan that reads "I am Bianca di Angelo. My brother is the biggest dork in the state". Please, Bianca." He said, rolling his eyes at her. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Why? Why can't I have an oblivious sister like Thalia's brother?/em He then caught Will's gaze and smiled. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I hope I don't look like trash right now . . . wait. Is he . . . ? I'm so stupid. Dammit! I cannot stop it! And he's smiling back! WHY?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAnd he was, a stupidly happy, carefree grin that lit up his face and made him look unreasonably happy. Nico saw it as well as everyone else in the place. It only made him look more handsome. Nico felt a rush of blood come into his head. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Oh no . . ./em But Will said nothing, just dropping a ten still with that ridiculous smile, and sat instead of his normal table, at the bar. Nico was busy for a good while of the morning, but he saw him leave, his jacket still on the back of his chair./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Wait! Will!" he called, but Will didn't turn around. So, ignoring the customers that were in line, Nico snatched Will's jacket and ran after him. "WILL!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWill turned around and said "Yes?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You left this."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Oh, OHH. Thanks. I appreciate it. So, I um, well, see you around?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanA strange feeling came over Nico, which could be the only reason he asked "Want to hang out some time?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanA smile came to Will's face. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"That same dorky grin. Why does he affect me like this?/em "Here's my number." He pulled out a piece of paper out of his pocket, along with a pen./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Just put it in my phone." Nico said, smiling at him, handing over his phone, already putting in Will's name./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe put in his number and said "Text me," as he walked away./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanNico turned style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;" Did that just happen? Did I just get HIS number? Is this a dream?/em He walked back into the Java with the largest smile that Bianca had ever seen./p 


	2. Chapter 2

p class="MsoNormal"As soon as Nico came home, he sat down at the kitchen table, and opened up his laptop and started clicking away furiously./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Sooooo, what happened today?" Hazel asked, taking a seat across from Nico./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nothing," he said sounding distracted, his head in his computer, typing frantically./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well, then you wouldn't mind telling me what happened after you ran after Will, would you?" Bianca said coming from behind him carrying laundry./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nothing"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Is that all you're going to say right now?" complained Hazel./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm sorry, what are you asking me? I'm trying to finish my homework for Creative Writing."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I /emwas asking what happened after you ran off after Mr. Sunshine today." Bi replied./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I gave him his sweatshirt. That was it." He said, making sure not to look at either of his sisters' faces./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Then why did you come back in with that smirk?" She responded, letting Hazel make her own connections./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Cause I got his number." Nico whispered. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Please don't hear that. PLEASE don't hear what I said./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"WHAT?" em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"No luck there. . . Please don't ask me/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"And! What did you say, what happened, is there a thing between you guys?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"And still no dice. Why, sis why?/em "I am trying to do homework, sis. Do you want me to pass or not?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHazel closed his laptop, and Bianca sat down next to them both. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"WHY DO YOU ALL HATE ME!?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Bianca, you want to know what I think?" Hazel asked./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What do you think?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I/em think, and correct me if I'm wrong Nico, that he has a crush, and is so obvious to this poor Will guy, that he asked Nico out on a pity date."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Stay calm and don't say anything. You can do this just ignore them. If you pay attention you'll end up telling them everything/em./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Well/em, I think that Nico asked him out and Will turned him down. That's why he doesn't want to tell us what happened."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"But that isn't what happened. . . /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nooooo," Hazel said drawing out the o sound as long as humanly possible./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It would explain why he wouldn't want to talk about it."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;""I'm sorry, but I don't like you like that. I don't want to lie to you."/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well that is true. . ."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"NO! I asked him if he wanted to hang out sometime, and he gave me his number and told me to text him, okay?" Nico said in one rush of breathe./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nico," Hazel softly spoke "Are you okay?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah, I'm fine," he said defensively "Why?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You're bright red. Nico, you're going to need to calm down. We're not here to judge. We love you. This is the only way we can get you to say anything most of the time. All we want is to hear is what is going on with you, but you don't seem to care enough to talk about it."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"How can we try to help you if you won't talk to us? WE care about you. WE want to talk to you."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'll be fine. Just leave me be. I'm going to my room." He got up, gathered his things and stormed up the stairs./p  
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm so sorry Nico, I thought you knew. I was just trying to be friendly."/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Really? Me? Like you? Like THAT? Never in a million years."/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Wait, you thought I was . . ."/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"JUST STOP!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"into you?"/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Who in their right mind would want YOU?"/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHis room was dark and dreary with thick black curtains, one that helped to cultivate some of Nico's best horror stories, but he never thought that he would feel trapped there, alone with no one around who cared./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span*CHIME*/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanNico grabbed his phone and sat on his dark brown colored comforter that was neatly made across his bed, and tucked under the edges of the mattress. He looked and saw he had received a message from 'The Hot Blonde'. Could it be . . .?/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span*Yeah . . . this is Will. I changed my name in your phone. Lol span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"J/span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span*Hey. Why that?/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAlmost immediately he responded./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span*I do it to everyone I give my number to. What are you doing this Friday?/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span*Nothing that I know of/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAgain he responded with lightning speed, almost as if he knew what he was going to say./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span*Well, it's my birthday on Friday, and I'm having a party if you want to come/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span*I'll see if I can make it/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe saw bubbles bouncing for typing, then nothing./p 


	3. Chapter 3

p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"WILL/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I can't believe he STILL works there? I would have hoped he would have gotten a better job than that, even though I like seeing his face every morning. Speaking of which, he hasn't texted me yet. Thank god Bianca slipped her number in my pocket. /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe quickly punched in her number and counted the rings./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"1 . . ./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"2 . . ./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"3 . ./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Hello?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Thank god/em "Hello Ms. di Angelo, this is William Solace. I'm calling to get your brother's number." He said in his best customer service voice./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""You need to give my brother lessons. He can hardly talk to people, and yet em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"he's/em the one trying to sell people stuff./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Thank you. Ummm, about that number?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""989-2456 . . . "/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Thank you so . . . "/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Don't thank me just yet. You are gonna have to come over on Thursday, cause I am not letting my little brother hang out with people that I don't know."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Ummm would you do it Friday? I'm supposed to have a birthday party then. You both can come. If that's alright with both of you?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"There was a bit of a pause. "Ask him. If he says yes, then sure. If not, you are coming here on Thursday."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Thank you!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Don't say that just yet."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"After saying that, Bianca hung up the phone call./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Now, let's see if he'll answer a text from me. OHHH NOOO I didn't actually put my name in his phone. Well let's hope he doesn't think this is a prank./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"*Yeah . . . this is Will. I changed my name in your phone. Lol span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"J/span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"A few seconds later he saw bubbles appear, then/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"*Hey. Why that?/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Enter the generic response that way he doesn't know that you like him, then invite. That might actually work. /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span*I do it to everyone I give my number to. What are you doing this Friday?/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Please say nothing, please say that you have nothing going on./em He held onto his breath, waiting for the response that he was dreading./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span*Nothing that I know of/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"YES! Well here goes nothing . . . /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span*Well, it's my birthday on Friday, and I'm having a party if you want to come/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span*I'll see if I can make it/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I'll tell him that his sister told him that it was fine with her. /emHe got up out of his bed, that happened to be in bright shades of yellow, white, orange, and pink; all the colors of the sunset strewn across the room, and started typing. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Wait I can't say that, it'll make it seem that I did all this behind his back. /emWill quickly deleted the message and laid down, dreaming about how nice life could be./p 


	4. Chapter 4

p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"He was a son of Apollo. Not only did he have his father's knack for healing, he also sometimes had visions of the future. Not that they always came true. "Time is ever-changing, fluid, and always moving. That is why it is so hard to predict. But I give all of my children flashes of what could be," is what Apollo once told him./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"He saw bright sunshine, like he always did before it happened, then it played like a movie. There was a little girl, black hair with bright blue green eyes not quite like his own, sitting in the lap of the one person he wanted to be with most: Nico di Angelo. He couldn't see his face at that moment, but he seemed mostly relaxed, although his shoulders were hunched inwards./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Daddy?" the young child asked in a typical little kid's voice "Where is Papa?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I'm not sure, Ela. Maybe he got caught up at work . . ."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I'm here!" He heard himself say as he saw a blonde figure ran out of the bushes and tackle them both./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""HONEY, DON'T TACKLE ELA! WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU HURT HER?!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I know what I'm doing Nico." He said with a smile. It seemed like he had aged a decade in the vision, in his late 20's or early 30's. He saw himself pull Nico to his feet and got down on one knee./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""What are you . . .?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Hey Nico, you know about all those times you told me to shut it? Well, I'm going to have to ask you the same thing, just for a little bit. Nico di Angelo, I wanted you to know that I cared about you. I had a whole speech planned for today, and I even think I wrote it out at one point. But I realized I didn't need to convince you that I loved you. I just had to tell you that, and even then you already knew it. I love you so much. And all I want is for you to stay with me, until the end of our days."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"He pulled out a ring, silvery with an etched design of vines./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I know this isn't really your style, but the ring is . . ." he couldn't make out the words that were said next until "so will you, Nico di Angelo, marry me?" Then something weird happened./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"The vison split at that moment. Out of one eye he saw gold, and Nico said "Yes. Of course." Out of the other he saw a dark grey, and Nico said "No. You've hurt me and her too much!" Then the lights died./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"All that Will could think about was how easy life would be without this craziness, and what in the name of Tartarus he had to do to make things go his way./p 


	5. Chapter 5

p class="MsoNormal""Nico," A man's voice said "walk with me."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe was asleep, undoubtedly so. But, gods forbid he ever get any actual rest. It wasn't his work, this dream, otherwise he wouldn't be seeing darkness. Although he liked the darkness, even the most somber people needed some light to keep on going. Instead, he saw is father's palace, a feebly small version of what was atop Mount Olympus, full of emptiness and depression. Instead of white, there was black. Where in Zeus's palace there was gold, here it was silver. Where there, there was people, here it was deserted, minus the statues in Persephone's garden, him and his godly father. His father walked on, while Nico trailed after, reluctantly./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Son, there are plans in motion for you. You must go to the Oracle. I understand that you wish that you could have a normal life, but . . ."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I can't huh? What if I don't? What if I decided to try to leave this behind?" he asked Hades./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Don't tempt the Fates, Nico. You will still be a part of this, whether you like it or not. Accept your fate, or it'll go badly for you, and honestly, as much as you don't think so, I don't want that for you."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Then let me wake."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Not yet. I'm letting you know that you have a choice. It will change the world, and I want you to make the right one. That's why I gave Bianca back. She has a good head and a good heart. But even then, the choice is yours. This is where I leave you, but here she comes."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Who is . . . oh great. I have THAT kind of choice./em A change came over the place. In the darkness a figure wreathed in a bright pinkish light. Instead of a woman though, he saw a young man. He was lean but well-muscled, with bright blue eyes and em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"that ridiculously goofy smile/em. span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"WHY?! HELP ME!/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/em"Hello Nico, I'm Aphrodite,"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Ummm uhhh hello?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I have a . . . request . . .span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanfor you." She said./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Ummmm? Why are you?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Percy never told you?" she asked "Well, I look to you as the one you most wish to be with. Right now, well I'm assuming I look like that son of Apollo? What was his name? Bill?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAt the mention of Percy, he felt a bit of anger. It helped him think clearer. "His name is Will. Will Solace."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Ahhhh that's right. Anyways, I have a request for you. I need you to find my son."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Ummm I'm sorry milady, but which one? One of your demigod children?" he asked. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Please be something easy, like taking a demigod to camp. Please be something easy, like . . ./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/em"Well, no. Actually I want you to find my son Phobos. He's missing you see, and he's just a minor god, so none of the others feel like it's their job. Soooo, I want em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"you/em to help me."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why me?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well I have to have someone do it . . . if you don't do it, someone else will, and the Fates will do with you as they please. I at least can help with them, unlike your father. He is all for letting them do as they wish, but love cannot be constrained. It is one of life's biggest motivators. It helps the Fates create their string. Therefore I can help you make the choice that you want to make, as it em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"is/em under my domain."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What do you get out of this?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"My son back, of course. It's time for you to speak to the Oracle. Get your prophecies, cutie!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe woke up and sat up in his bed at the same time./p 


	6. Chapter 6

p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"RACHEL/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"He comesssss/em, a snakelike voice said. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"He issss closssse./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/emAn image came into her mind of a scene. A black haired man and a dark haired girl being tackled by a blond man./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I wonder what he will ask/em said a different voice inside of the red-headed. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I'm really curious/em./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Ask seeker and I will answer . . . /emthe first voice said./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I seek not./em She replied./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanA loud rustle occurred right outside of her cave./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Approach seeker and ask."/em The snake voiced./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I need to know where Phobos is" Nico said, entering the dimly lit cave. Inside there were paintings; things of the past, and things of the future. They were quickly hidden by the Mist./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"A child of Darkness, a child of light, and one of in-between/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShall make their way to dead man's gate and slip through unseen./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanA walk along the river's path, take one step you can't go back/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThere you will find what you seem to lack/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanInside your mind, inside your soul/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIs where doubt takes the greatest toll./p  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBut still you seek. Ask again and I will answer"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What choice will I make that will change the world?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It is the same as it has always been/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanDeep inside, buried within."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN!?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why should I know?" asked a normal female voice./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm sorry Rachel. Do you have any idea what this means?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"You can't sssssay anything . . . /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI know how this works Delphi. I may not be a few hundred years old, but I was a teenager. I understand the idea of keeping secrets./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I have no idea."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I hate doing this to people . . . /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanYou musssst/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I KNOW DELPHI!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Ummmm?" Nico asked/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Look at what you did/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"This is your fault. /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Look, imagine having a several hundred year old voice in your head. Imagine that you can tell it's an entirely different entity and that it likes telling you random little things about the future with visions. And it likes to tell you how very important it is, and how you need to listen to it. THAT is only a fragment of living with the Oracle of Delphi." She said sounding fed up and angry./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Becausssse mosssst do not undersssstand the importanssssse of thissss. Mosssst of the Oraclesssss, they do ssssomething sssstupid becaussssse they want to help sssssomeone. With good intentionssss, the path to the Fieldsssss isssss made./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Let's go to the Big House. Chiron and Annabeth should be able to help me understand the prophecy." He held out his hand. She took it./p 


	7. Chapter 7

p class="MsoNormal""WHAT? YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Father, it's the only-"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I cannot just summon Thanatos for no reason! He has duties! He is literally bringing the dead where they belong. WHY in the name of me would I do that?!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I need your help father. I told you that you owed me. You made an oath on the Styx. Are you going back on your oath?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No," He slumped in his throne. He seemed exhausted. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Well think about it. If you ruled the kingdom of the dead, which just keeps growing, and had to maintain it, wouldn't you be too?/em "I will call him. But, you cannot be caught. If you are . . . even I cannot save you. Do you have a plan?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Annabeth, that hat of yours still working?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why not use that son of Apollo?" Hades asked./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What do mean?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"He means that Apollo is the god of the sun. That means he is also the god of light. Light manipulation, Nico. He could manipulate light and make it look like the Doors never left." Annabeth said, wearing her 'I'm making a plan' face./p 


	8. Chapter 8

p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"ANNABETH/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Thanks Frank. "Keep it simple" was the perfect play./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/emThe plan?/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHide in the Doors of Death and hop out on his first stop./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 2;" /spanspan style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"THANATOS!" Hades called, "I MUST SPEAK WITH YOU!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;"An elevator popped up, out of nowhere, it's doors as black as midnight with detailing of pure silver. With a pleasant ding, the elevator opened, and out stepped Death./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 2;" /spanspan style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"He is as handsome as Hazel had said . . ./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;"He had oil-slick wings, and dark hair. He looked as if he had stepped off of the cover of a romance novel/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;""Yes, Hades? You said the matter was urgent." He said in his melodious voice. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"OMG/em, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"his voice./em She could feel his voice pulling at her, her energy, her consciousness, her soul./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;""Well of course. I have someone you need to track for me."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;""Hades, couldn't you have just updated my list?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;"As he said this, a ripple of light sped past, into the Doors. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"So far so good./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;""Well I don't want anyone to be able to trace this to us. Too much good PR would devastate my reputation." Hades said, trying his hardest to find a way out of the hole he had dug himself./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;"She donned her cap and ran, skirting the wings of Death, and hid in a corner. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Come on Nico. Your turn./em All of the sudden, Nico was there, behind Annabeth. Then he wasn't. Although, if she reached out she was sure she could touch him, she couldn't see him at all./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;""You want me to find Lamia? I thought she was . . . scattered."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;""She was spotted. Hecate wants her gone, and I have to agree. She is definitely a threat to the gods, even if the Olympians don't see it. She has to be taken out. Maybe I can finally get her soul here, and I can question her about the ritual she used to allow those devils to sniff out our children."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;""Ahhhhh." Thanatos looked pensive. And took a whiff. And headed to the Doors. She turned around and crouched, making sure she wouldn't be vaporized or noticed. She hoped that the other two did the same./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;"The Doors closed. She saw the light grow on the walls and felt her skin start to heat up. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDon't look, no one look please. I don't want anyone to die. Please be okay. Percy . . ./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;"*CHIME*/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"OHHH NOOOO/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;"The Doors opened. She felt the heat recede./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;""Now," she whispered, and leapt out of the Doors, with the two boys hot on her tail./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWhich was why they were here, on the edge of a building./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"ANNABETH!" Will yelped./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""NOT MY FAULT!" She yelled back, making sure she could be heard over the sound of the wind roaring in their ears. It was beautiful in retrospect. The sun was rising over the horizon, causing the prettiest oranges, yellows, pinks, and purples. But if you looked down, well, even she got vertigo./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"HOLD MY HAND!" Nico shouted. He held out his hand, as he started fading. She reached, reached, reached, and barely grabbed his fingertips, as Nico vanished./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt was wild. One second she was on the ledge of a building, then she was falling through darkness. The darkness was overwhelming. Overpowering. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Where am I?/em is all she could think, until she felt her feet land on something. The darkness faded from her vison, revealing the inside of a, well, broken-down ruin. She couldn't tell what color the paint was, or if the walls were once painted. She saw a hole, one that took up more than half of the wall that she could see, the wall still blackened from whatever caused it./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well," Nico said, choking on his words "at least we know where we are."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Do we?" she asked, legitimately curious./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"This is Venice, Italy. This is . . . was my home."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nico," she responded reaching for him, before she realized that Will was doing the same. He turned at the sound of her voice./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm sorry. I mean, I couldn't do anything, and I didn't do anything, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry for what happened."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Don't be. It was a long time ago." He replied, staring at the wall, looking forlorn./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWill walked next to him and pulled him into a side squeeze, muttering something that she couldn't hear. Nico stood there for some time, like he was hoping for an answer. She turned around and screamed./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBehind her was a spider. It wasn't particularly large, or anything. It was pure black, with a red hourglass on its abdomen, and about the size of a dime. It spoke in a rasping female voice. "Hello, Wisdom's Daughter. Aren't you glad to see me?" As Arachne spoke, she grew in size. "We are going to have a pleasant time now, aren't we?" Annabeth couldn't move as Arachne's stinger flew at her face./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShe woke up in a room with a hole in a blackened wall, the rest of the room, mostly intact, with Will sitting there, feeding her little pieces of ambrosia. She sat up quite abruptly, hitting Nico in the head, as he was sitting over her, looking at Will with a worried expression that quickly turned into one of mild pain./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Ow," she said, rubbing her forehead./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Just lie still, it'll be fine. You passed out after the shadow travel, and we couldn't wake you. We came out here."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Where's here?" she asked, wondering at the vision she saw as she blacked out. It was nighttime, the stars visible through the hole in the wall. There was a small fire burning in the center of the room, near where she was, and it gave everything a warm cozy glow./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Italy," came a voice near the fire. It sounded wholesome and warm. "Venice to be exact." Around the edge of the fireplace came a little girl. She looked young, around the time that most half-bloods are found. She wore a brown woolen dress, and her hair was a frizzy mess, as if her mother had forgotten to pull it into braids. Her eyes resembled balls of fire, but not the ones of Ares. Ares's eyes spoke of carnage and destruction, but hers spoke of campfires and fireplaces, of warmth and comfort./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"My lady Hestia. It is nice to finally see you again." Nico said, bowing at the waist./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Hello, son of Hades, child of darkness." she glanced at them. Her eyes seemed to glow bright with embarrassment./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"My lady . . ." Annabeth started, but was quickly cut off./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm sorry, child of in between, but I have very little time. Just remember me when you find the Road of Fear." She said, being sucked into the fire. "Light the path," she called. She vanished into the flames, the flames dancing around her, growing higher and higher, until they covered her. The flames died out, leaving a small box of matches in the middle of the fire pit. Will grabbed them and placed them into his backpack. The stars she had once seen had disappeared. It felt like the darkness was trying to push into the room, to seek anyone who wasn't inside four walls and penetrate their souls. It felt suffocating./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Will, will you light another fire?" she asked, shivering. "I don't trust this darkness."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Sure," he said. He pulled out tinder and breathed on it. His breathe was a brilliant yellow, and it started smoking. He placed it on the wood and they watched it burn./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"After a while, her eyes started closing. The last thing that she saw was Nico, staring sadly at the hole in the wall, leaning on Will's side, with Will looking both anxious and hopeful./p 


	9. Chapter 9

p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"NICO/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"EARLIER THAT DAY/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"ANNABETH!" Will yelped./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"NOT MY FAULT!" She screamed back. She looked, not scared, that wasn't the word, but concerned. She looked down and gulped, and tried to hide her inner struggle. It didn't really work./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Well I guess I have to shadow-travel again. This is gonna hurt./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"HOLD MY HAND," He yelled, focusing on the darkness that surrounded him. He felt himself flicker, flicker, the pressure of one hand, flicker, and the pressure of the second as he was enveloped by shadow./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanShadow-traveling isn't really good for people in general, especially if that person has no idea on what is going on, as well as if they go for a distance longer than a few yards. He tried to concentrate on going into the building behind them, but he felt a tug in a different direction, a tug that pulled him off track. It wasn't the random, small tugs that he got every so often that he could resist. No, for this shadow-travel he had no control. So, when they appeared in an abandoned living room, one that had been abandoned for years, he had no idea why. That is until he turned around and saw the hole. The one made by a lightning bolt. He knew it was a lightning bolt hole the same way he knew what his mother looked like. From that last memory that was taken from him, the one that his father was so upset that he saw. One of the memories that he had taken, washed away by the river Lethe. He had been brought by the residue of the last home that he ever had before going to Camp Half-blood./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"thunk/em of a body had caused him to get out of his reverie. He spun, panicked that one of them had died./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAll he could see was Annabeth. He saw her on the ground, lying in a puddle of blood. Will wasn't there. Nico knew he wanted to save her, but he didn't know how . . ./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe could see her life force leaving her body. He called upon it, trying to push it back into her, but instead he was having the opposite effect. It was leaving her body so much quicker. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Where is Will? Who is Will? Why am I thinking about some random person when my friend is dying? Is he important? Is he a doctor? How would he be able to help?/em His brain was filled with questions that couldn't stop going around in circles. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"What was that thing I was trying to think about? Wait. Annabeth./em She was still lying there, but she was no longer breathing. He fell at her side. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"WHY? What was I thinking? How am I going to face the rest of camp?/em At the thought of camp, he saw a blonde boy, working in the infirmary. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Will. Wait where is Will?/em He felt something different in his head, some sort of pressure, pushing at his memories. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"What are you?/em It didn't respond. It writhed in his head, pushing and squeezing, trying to force its way into the portion of Nico's mind that he still had control over. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"NOOOOO! /emHe pushed back with all his might, and it retreated from him. Literally. A dark mist flowed out of him, changing what he saw. Annabeth was still lying on the ground, but so was Will. There was no blood, but their heartbeats were steadily increasing./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why in the name of Hades am I the one who isn't affected as badly?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe knelt next to Will and focused. He saw a glimpse of a black haired man, dragging a black haired girl away from an older Will. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Is that . . . Gods dammit Nico, you can ask questions later. Not now!/em He pushed the thought away and focused on the darkness that was enveloping him, pulling it out of him wisp by wisp until it remained no longer, then fed him some ambrosia and nectar./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanExhausted, he moved to Annabeth, and did the same, focusing on her being, and by doing so seeing what she saw. The dark room, with a single black widow, who started morphing into something entirely different./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Arachne, the goddess of spiders. Of course. Why is Phobos trying to kill us?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe felt her heart begin to race and saw that she was running out of time. He looked for the densest part of the smoke and began tugging. Little by little what seemed to be the core of this being was drawn out of her, and into the air where it was bashed around, and thinned out by the wind. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I have no idea where this came from, but if this is the first test, I don't want to see the second. Like seriously, why in the world do I have to deal with Phobos?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/emThis was his last conscious thought before he sank into the cold familiarity of darkness./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Gods forbid I get any ACTUAL rest. BY HADES'S BOXERS!/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe found himself sitting on a small brick wall. If he had been standing, it would have reached his belly button. Barely. On one side, was Persephone's garden. On the other, there was nothing. It was so black, he felt he was blind. He couldn't tell when he closed his eyes. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Night. Is this . . . NO STOP IT . . ./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/emAnd he was taken back. He saw her, the emaciated hag, the one who sheltered him in her mist. "I don't need to do anything. You are already filled with anguish and despair!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAnd he felt himself wrenched out of the memory, as if he was hooked at the waist and was jerked up./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Son, just stop," Hades told him, changing the scenery around. Trees and shrubs became pillars, and all the statues, souls, waiting to be judged. He fell onto the floor near his father, while his father sat in his throne at the top of nine steps./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Thanks dad . . ." He said begrudgingly. "why am I here?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Ask her." Hades said, pointing at the familiar figure ahead of them. "She's the one who called for you . . . Although I don't know why she keeps using my realm as a meeting place.'/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAgain, his father said she, but all he saw was Will walking towards him. "Hello Aphrodite . . ."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAphrodite smiled. "Hello lovebird. You've only begun your journey . . . You've many more tests before you. If you can't face your fears . . . Any of you . . . well . . . you won't like what will happen. Remember, you cannot live a full life without fear, but to face it, admit there is fear . . . that is what will get you far on Phobos's Road. Remember that and the feeling of Hestia's warmth." Aphrodite smiled. "I am not allowed to interfere in mortal's decisions since Helen . . . but this time I'm willing to break the rules." Will's annoyingly bright and adorable smile grew on Aphrodite's face. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"WHY DOES THIS MAKE ME MELT?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I . . . Umm . . . Okay." He couldn't even create a full sentence./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You are about to wake . . . but . . . here." He handed Nico a small necklace. It looked like a flower, with pale yellow petals and a black stem./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"ummmm . . . " he looked at it skeptically./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Not your style? Here." The goddess simply waved her hand and it became a yin yang symbol, one side golden and the other onyx./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why?" he asked, still only one word sentences being all he could say./p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Because . . . It will ground you and the one you love. And have this as well." She brought forth a second item, a ring of silver with an aquamarine in it. "Tell her I said hello." With that she waved her hand and Nico woke up to Will feeding him a little ambrosia. It tasted like coffee, black coffee, exactly like he liked it./p 


End file.
